Become a glass half-full person this year

Optimists are happier, healthier and wealthier, according to research. For them, negative events are temporary setbacks to be overcome. US entrepreneur, Donald Trump, a perennial optimist, has been bankrupt in the past and has bounced back each time richer than before. Optimists seize positive events as evidence that there are more good things to come. They have strong self-belief and are happy to take risks, creating yet more positive events in their lives.

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Why are optimists healthier?

In a study that was published in the monthly newsletter, 'Harvard Men's Health Watch', doctors found that men who were 'highly pessimistic' were three times more likely to develop high blood pressure than optimistic men and twice as likely to develop heart disease.

This could be because optimists lead healthier lifestyles and have better relationships with other people, but it could also be because their positive attitude has biological benefits, such as lowering levels of stress hormones and inflammation.

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Do optimists live longer?

Having a positive mental attitude may even help you live longer. A study in the USA in 2006 analysed nearly 7000 university students who were enrolled at the University of North Carolina in the 1960s.

It revealed that the death rate in the most pessimistic third of the group over the next 40 years was 42 per cent higher than the most optimistic third.

'Dispositional optimism', which is the kind of heady optimism when you feel that everything will turn out for the best, has also been linked with improved rates of recovery after surgery and better survival rates for cancer patients.

Upbringing - optimist or pessimist?

But what if you are a glass-half-empty kind of person? Can you change your outlook and gain all the benefits of seeing the world through rose-tinted spectacles?

Professor Stephen Joseph, who lectures in psychology, health and social care at the University of Nottingham, UK believes that we are conditioned to be more optimistic or pessimistic in our childhoods.

'No-one is born believing the glass is half empty, but our environment and influences can determine how we see the world – something called our 'explanatory style,' he says.

It is possible that some genes predispose some people to optimism, and that the same genes affect health and longevity, but this connection is not proven.

In other words, if you are taught to see things in a positive light, looking at all situations in practical ways, you will grow up being an optimist.

If you are brought up with parents who tend towards a negative view of the world, you will probably share their dismal outlook.

Your explanatory style is how you talk yourself through experiences: 'I failed my exam because I'm too stupid to pass,' would be the explanatory style of a pessimist.

An optimist might say: 'I failed my exam because I didn't work hard enough, but I'll try harder and pass next time.'

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How to make the mental change

However, no one has to remain a pessimist if they don't want to. 'The way that you talk to yourself is a choice. It is possible to change your "inner dialogue" and learn how to alter your view,' says Professor Joseph.

He says that it isn't easy to switch, but pays dividends. 'Changing your mindset is complicated and takes time. It is not an easy thing to do after years of conditioning.

'But if you can, you can look forward to living your life realistically with positive goals instead of always assuming that setbacks are due to bad luck and your personal failings.'

If you can, enlist the help of a counsellor, who can help you with personal therapy, picking apart the way you normally talk to yourself.

However, there are simple things you can do to start on the process of becoming an optimist.

Understand your own explanatory style. Go online and do web-based questionnaires, which will help you determine if you are a positive person, or more inclined to the negative. 'Many people go through their whole lives not realising that they are pessimists. They assume that their way of thinking is normal. The first step is to understand yourself,' says Professor Joseph.

Stop asking yourself, 'Why does this always happen to me?' That assumes you are doomed in some fatalistic web. Take responsibility for your own happiness.

Be cautious if someone tells you, 'always look for the positive'. Sometimes, there isn't a silver lining to a particular situation. However, there is always hope and a chance for a fresh start.

Try so-called 'gratitude exercises' for a few minutes each evening. Spend a little time going over your day and making a thoughtful list about what went well. It could be a list of very simple things, such as 'I found a place in the car park' or 'my favourite dessert was on special offer in the supermarket'.

The materials in this web site are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor. The web site does not have answers to all problems. Answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone. If you notice medical symptoms or feel ill, you should consult your doctor - for further information see our Terms and conditions.

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